Side tracker for oil well equipment



IN VENTOR,

Feb 14, 1939.. G, LE BUS sim"I TRACKER FOR om WELL EQUTPAENT Film Dec. 4, 193e `N f \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\N\ A? w/ Y p 5% ATTORNEY.

` l invention relates toi-weub'oring if within the circumference v, to bore an angular side-track po.:ket`at'a`ny'de-v y Patented: Feb. 14, 1939 isimili ,j f' 'PATENT hr1-ICE I. l' i re-"il surpnv'ruaolinnrlglvvmn j Y Y y figli-p rea and particularly to improvements inrsuch equip- Amentior avoiding obstructions such as toolslost inthe hole, broken drill bits. and the like.

I 'Ihe primary objectl of the invention is to provide a means for continuing the drilling operations without removing such obstructions" by' the ordinary fishing tool method and by side-trucking` the obstruction by the drilling of a pocket to one sideof'the well bore andV removing the `object intothe pocket and then. continuing the drilling operations in the path ot the ,vertical well bore..`

v Another yobject of l i construction of the vside-tracking device andwherein the latter is adapted to be moved laterallyv aired point in a line rwith said eircmnrerence. The above principal and other important' ob- Vscrlptiom teken in connection with the accompanying drawing. and in said drawing: I Figure 1 is a sectional representation of a wellc bore and a section of drill pipe withithe sidetracking device embodied therein.- the latter being shown in a side-track boring position,

Figure 2 is a. longitudinaLsectional detail view of the central part of the side-tracking device, showing the means oi.' connecting the upper and lower parts by means of s. bali and socket construction, the side-tracking` element being shown in a non-side-tracking pesition, Il Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2,but illustrating the side-tracking element in a side-tracking or boring position and showing a ilexible water hose,` and means for connecting the hose in position in the water line, 40 Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 2, the View being taken on the :line 4-4 thereof, Figure 5 is a sectional detail vview of the ball supporting part for the side-tracking element, the

latter being removed, and

` Figure 6 is an elevational view of oneoi"` the rollers associated with the ball and ball support-,y

lins part. Y

Reierring more in detail to the drawing. I represents a well bore made in the earth 2 in 50 thel usual manner, the broken lines i indicating f the continuation of the bore after the obstruction, as of a broken drill bit l, has been sidetracked or diverted from the vertical bore of the well. The device is connected to a string oi' 55 drill pipe as at l by means oi' a short length of 9. thefball retainingelelnent they invention is the novel formation also beingy carried out of a, circleand made, land rounded surface Illa of the bali retaining jects of the invention will be more clearly vumlerstood by a perusal of thei'ollowing detailed4 del threaded into the tubular Figure 3.

1 cnam. fc'cl. i4- 1) equipmentf pipe U having a. tool-engaging surface 1. The vlower end ofthe pipe 6 is then connected to the end! of the'upper portion vof the device. The side-tracking parts comprise the tubular element il, the ball VIl on l its steinv I2 and the rollers i3.

The .construction which permits a lateral or l. angular position'from the `true vertical bore of the hole being 'drilled is carried out by the arrange' ment of the ball curved or rounded surface 9a of the lower end lb with the"- bail retaining element Il. the -ll by the curved element il. The rounded surface of the tubular element .9, while constituting part of the socket also proyides a means for holding the ball in I position. The socket thus formed is continuous with the bore 9c in the element 9 and with the e diverging or ilared bore IIb in the element III. -The stem I2 is adapted to receive a drill bit Ii for drilling the side-pocket A. l

In assembling the parts, the nipple 2l, with the exible element I1, is inserted in the upper end oi' the hollow body 9 by a suitable tool. 'I'he ilexible element is then secured at its opposite yend to the bali projecting means 19. 'Ihe rollers l0 are then set ln the recesses in the sleeve and the ball and stem element moved into engagement with the rollers. The sleeve is then screwed into engagement with the reduced portion of th'e hollow body 9.

Means are provided for directing a continuous flow of water pressure to the drill bit when the ball -and stem are in anangular side-track boring position bythe flexible hose Il. I'he stem I2. and ball Il are channeled or bored at Il and the 4g ball Il has formed thereon a conical projection il. 'Ihe hose I1 is connected to the projection I I and then securedjto anipple 2li, the latter being element I as shown in One of the important features of the sidea tracking device is the means for holding the stem and ball in an angular position such as shown and for simultaneously rotating the saine on its axis to operate the bit I 6. This is accomplished 50 by the rollers I 3 and the ball Il. The ball retaining element lll has spaced recesses 2|, larger than the rollers Il in order to provide ample free movement-of the rollers in these recesses. The bali Il is also provided with similar recesses 22.

I l and the bali retaining element l0 f in, the latter having formed therein a socket I4 see Figure.' The socket i4 is formed by the This construction provides in eilect a universal joint. When the ball and its stem are vertically positioned as in Figure 2, these recesses are in alinement, but when the stem is moved to a difagonal position as in lgures 1 and 3, the reduced portion 52a oi the stem abuts the wall of the flared opening Nb, causing the rollers i3 to occupy the positions shown in Figure 3. That is, the rollers I3 are then at the top of the recess 2l on one side of the element Il and at the bottom of recess 2l on the opposite side of the element. Likewise the inner ends oi' the rollers il occupy similar positions inthe ball il. -This arrangement enables the stem I2 with the drill bit i0 to rotate on its axis and drill a side pocket to the side of the vertical bore.

In the operation o! the device and in case a drill bit! is lodgedyin the bottom of the hole as shown in Figure 1, the side-tracking device is attached to the drill stem and lowered into the well. As the bit I6 comes in contact with the obstruction I and the drill stem and bit rotated the bit will slip oi! the obstructing object and bore a side-tracking hole A of suillclent depth to remove the broken bit out of the vertical bore. The side-tracking device is then withdrawn to the surface and the regular drill bit placed on the drill stem, as in drilling a vertical bore in the regular way. As the bit is lowered it strikes the 's into the pocket A and the boring is continued'as indicated by the broken lines I.

While the construction shown embodies the principle or the invention. it is u be understood that changes and modifications may be made therein, in keeping with the intent of the device and within the scope and meaning of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A side-tracking device for well boring comprising a tubular body, a hollow body threadedly engaged therewith, the hollow body having a reduced portion, a sleeve element threadedly engaged with the said reduced portion of the hollow body, a socket formed in the reduced portion of the hollowbody and the said sleeve element, a bail and stem element, the ball of the ball and stem. element being disposed in said socket, and the ball and stem element having a bore extending longitudinally thereof, said ball portion of said ball and stern element and said socket having a plurality of annularly spaced recesses, a plurality of roller elements in said recesses, said recesses being sufficiently dimensioned to permit the rollers to move freely therein without binding, buckling or interfering with the 'movement of the said ball and stem element, said sleeve being provided with ilared and outwardly divergins walls. and the stem of the ball and stem element having a reduced upper portion adjacent the outwardly diverging wallsof the sleeve element to permit the ball and stem element to move angularly with respect to the vertical position of the tubular body, the hollow body having a bore in one end, a nipple secured in the saidv asl 

